Game called rancho



Feb. 10. 1925. 1,525,944

A. MARTEKA GAME CALLED RANCHO Filed April 1. 1924 TAKE 5 BACK MOVE 1 MOVE Movz STOP /4 5 5 OUT 2 1 5 7 i/ Z9 .5729. @m

INVENTOK.

Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES ANTHONY MARTEKA, OF 'WI-lII'lINSVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME CALLED RANCHO.

Application filedApril '1, 1924. :SeriallNo. 703,410.

.ments in a Game Called Rancho, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to games and themanner of playing the :same.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel game, preferably called Rancho, similar to the well known checker game, which however, while using a board similar to theone used to play the checker game, employs .top or so-called put and take to regulate and direct the single moves of the checkers or-chips upon the board.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a game which is played according to specific rules in reference to the various movements of the chips or checkers across the board, thereby providing an interesting form of amusement for young and old A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel game played'thr'ough the movements of chips or checkers bearing proper identification marks or colors directediby atop also bearing certain inscriptions relating to the game, whereby the chips are moved in certain ways along anet oflines on "top-of a board or housing which is adapted to house the various paraphernalia of the game when they are not in use.

.A .still further object of the invention is the provision of a game according to the rules ofwhich the person having all .of his chips or checkers off the board is-decla'red the winner in contradistinction to the plurality of games of this type.

These and other like objects are attained by .the novel construction and arrangement of rules and elements andcombination of parts hereinafter more fully described and shown in the accompanying drawing, form ing a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a board or housing made 'in accordance with the invention in its open or spread position ready for playing.

Figure 2 is a section through the housing on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-section through the board or housing in its closed position.

Figure l is a f agmentary view illustrating the means for holding top and bottom part of the housing locked together in the closed position of the housing.

Figure 5 illustrates in front elevation a top used for directing the single moves of the checkers across the board, and bearing suitable inscriptions.

Figure 6 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 7 shows the top in stretched or flattened position of its mantle in order to illustrate all of its inscriptions.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 are detail top plan views of chips or checkers used in playing the game.

The board or housing 10, here shown to boot square form as an example, constitutes a casing or housing having a top part 11 and a bottom part '12 hinged together at the rear as 13 so as to allow a spreading of both parts on a table to present a perfect smooth surface, and to permit a folding of both parts upon each other for the reception and storage of the paraphernalia of the game when not in use.

At its front the top part 11 carries a hook 14 adapted to engage or to grip over a pin 15 protruding from the front face of the part'lQ inthe usual manner.

The top of board 10, When'the housing is spread presents a perfectly smooth surface on which checkers or chips maybe readily moved along certain lines marked thereon. A plurality of sets of lines are provided to -.cross each other and for connecting the points of intersection to form a net and to provide ways formoving thechips across the heard.

A plurality of sets of 'lines16, 16,preferably 5 in number, as illustrated, are so arrangedvthat one set of lines 16 rectangularly intersects with the :other set of lines 16 to form substantially a cross.

Thelines 16,16 of-each set-are connected by other set of lines 17, 17 at the ends and at certain'equally distant intervals between these end lines, so as to form four sets of squares of 8 each at the outer ends of the cross and 16 squares in the centerpart thereof, or altogether48 squares orfields.

Diagonal sets of lines 18, 18, preferably 5 in eachset intersectingthe 5 of the other set, connect the points of intersection between lines 16, .17 and 16, 17 respectively in the manner illustrated in Figure 1.

The meeting points or points of interseclit) tion between the end lines 17, 17 and lines 16, 16' are marked by heavy black dots 19 surrounded by outer circlets 19, the so-called king points, and the median line 20, or so called dead line separating the field set aside for the placing of the chips of one player from the field reserved for the chips of the other player, connects two black points or dots 21 and 22 not surrounded by circlets, as'clearly shown in Figure 1.

Circles or circlets 23 and 24 surround the white dots 25 and 26 provided at the various points of intersection between the lines of sets 17, 16, 18 and 18 to both sides of the dead line 20.

In this manner 28 points including the king points are created on each side of the dead line 20 for the reception of the 28 vari-colored chips of each player at the start of the game.

The game is played by moving the chips or checkers across the board on the lines marked thereon as directed by the various inscriptions on the body of a top 27 or socalled put and take of hexagonal crosssection havinga flat top face and a stem or grip 28 attached thereto for spinning the top. The lower end of the top 27 is coni eally shaped as at 29, and the six side faces of its body between its top and the conus at the bottom are provided with suitable inscriptions asifor instance in the following consecutive order: Back 3, Move 3, Take 1. out, Move 2, Move 1, Stop. It will be clear that any other suitable inscription relating to the game and; directing the moves of the chips may be placed on the body of the top without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention, and I desire therefore not to restrict myself to the exact inscriptionsillustrated. 7

The game is played by means of sets of chips or checkers 30, 31, 28 for each player of different colors, as for instance as shown on the drawing, checkers 30 may have red color and checkers 31 may be blue, but it will be clear that any color may be employed as long as the sets of chips of one player are differently colored than the sets of chips of the other player to distinguish them dur ing their moves across the board.

Checkers 32 marked with a K are provided for a purpose more fully described herebelow.

The game is played in the following manner:

The 28 red chips are placed on the marked points of intersection on one side of the dead line 20 in the center, and tlie 28 blue chips 31 are placed on the points of the intersection marked on the opposite side of the dead line 20, also upon the king points.

Then the top is spun by one of the players, and if for instance the face of its body bearing the inscription Move 3 appears on its side uppermost at the end of its motion, the respective player is entitled to move three of his chips forward towards the dead line, or, if'the game is in full play across the same, either on the straight or onthe diagonal lines. Should; the inscription on the uppermost top face read Stop, the other player will be entitled to continue. In like manner the player can take one chip off the board if the inscription Take 1 out appears on the upper face of the top, or to move 2 or 1 of his chips forward if the inscriptions Move 2 or Move 1 respectively appear on the upper face of the top. It will be clear that if the direction Back 8 is given by the top at the end of its spinning motion, this direction is not to be obeyed if the condition of the play shows it to be impossible to comply therewith, however in this case the player may con? tinue to spin the top.

As soon asany one of the chips of one of the players reaches one of the king points 011 the opposite side of the dead line '20,he is entitled to exchange the same for one of the chips marked K, and these chips are the first 'ones to be taken off the board, if the respective inscription on the top readt Take 1 out.

Furthermore the king chips are entitled to execute the double-of the moves directed by the respective inscriptions onthe uppermost face of the tops body as soon as it ceases to spin with the exception of the Back 3 movement. The play is continued so long as chips are onlthe board, and the player who first succeeds to remove all of his chips from the board is declared the winner. 7 I

If during the game it is discovered that one or the otherimove directed by the top cannot be. executed owing to the condition of location of the chips, the same player continues, until: further moves are possible or the inscription Stop appears, when the other player continues with; the game. by spinning the top and moving his chips according to directions.

It will be clear that changes may be made in the general arrangement and in the construction of the minor details of my inven tion as well as in the rules governing the game as fall within the spirit and scope of my invention as specified in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game board of the class described, the combination with a substantially rectangular housing, of a net of sets of straight and diagonal lines intersecting each other angularly, the sets of straight lines forming substantially a cross, and the sets of diagonal lines intersecting said sets of straight lines and each other to form substantially squares and half-squares set at an angle to the squares formed by said sets of straight lines on said cross, a median, p

dead-line" dividing the net into two large fields at opposite sides of said line, and circlets marked on the points of intersection of the lines to provide places for the chips of each player on one side of said median line in the fields formed thereby, a plurality of black dots in some of said circlets to indicate king points, and a means for directing the various moves of said chips or checkers across the board along said lines in accordance with certain predetermined rules.

2. In a game board of the class described, a housing, a net of lines on said housing providing ways for guiding the movements of chips across said board, a median or dead-line dividing said net into two main fields, circlets on said fields for marking the places for the red chips of one player on one side of said median line, and for the blue chips of the other player on the. other side of said line, a plurality of black dots at the ends of said net to mark the places for the king chips, and a means for directing the various moves of said chips and king chips along said lines in accordance with certain predetermined rules.

Signed at lVhitinsville in the county and State of Massachusetts this 17th day of March A. D. 1924:.

ANTHONY MARTEKA. 

